Ballasts Do both the 9 watt AC 110V and DC 12V lamps run in overdrive (i.e. 13 watt ballast) or is it just the DC unit?

Both the AC and the DC versions are overdriven with 13 watt ballasts. The 9 watt units use an "instant start ballast", which is the roughest on the bulbs for turning them on and off because they get the full power right away and each time a little of the coating on the filament gets burned off. I overdrive all of the 9 watt bulbs with 13 watt ballasts because it produces almost 50% more UV.

With a standard 9 watt ballast, Philips rates their 9 watt bulbs for a lifetime of about 3,300 on/off cycles. The 13 watt ballasts are slightly harder on the filament, so we estimate about 3,000 on/off cycles. I have contracted with a company to test the life cycle of several of the lamps/tubes.

I do have a few of the 13 watt ballasts that will operate on 240 volts 50 hertz. The 240 volt ballasts are not a stock item here in the USA, however, one of the major manufacturers does custom make them at three times the cost of the 115 volt versions. The 230 volt, 9 watt ballasts are bigger than the 110 ... more.

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